The Digest. 09.22.08.

A paste-up by JR in New York City. Ekosystem has a night shot.(Photo by Joe Holmes.)

• Venetian gondoliers for Obama. (Courtesy of San Suzie!) Plus: McCain on the environment. And, please vote! A PBS poll on whether you think Palin is qualified to be veep.
• “Überdealer” Larry Gagosian’s Moscow show is all about education: educating Russians to buy his wares. Plus: NY Mag reports that “Gago” skipped out on Hirst-a-palooza at Sotheby’s in order to manage the debut of his Russian roadshow. Related: Deep Thoughts by Damien Hirst.
• ¡Art Industry Smackdown! Damien Hirst=Thomas Kinkade, says the NYT‘s Roberta Smith.
• ¡Art Industry Smackdown #2! Germaine Greer vs. Robert Hughes: “Bob, dear, Damien Hirst is just one of many artists you don’t get.”
• On poop in art. More here.
• In Seattle: when cheesy retail outlets (allegedly) rip off installation artists. And then deny it.
• Sol Lewitt’s SF MOMA murals get buffed.
• More hijinks from the Smithsonian, gimme money edition.
• Trippy: Audience, an installation by Random International and Chris O’Shea that is made of individual mirrors that react to the public as they walk around. (Via eyebeam.)
• How England’s National Gallery protected its art during World War II.
• An interesting photojournalism story: photographer Rick Smolan on shooting an Amerasian girl in Korea, and ultimately getting her adopted by friends.
• Tricked out: A history of the Popemobile. (Via Life Without Buildings.)
• Ben Kingsley kicks ass.
• Bathroom graffiti round-up, one and two.
• Graff of the Day: WaOne and Interesni-Kazki in the Ukraine. More here.
• Steven Holl architects to design a new arts center at Princeton. More on the project here. Plus: an image of the maquette.
• Loopy architecture: The Denmark Pavilion for Shanghai Expo 2010 by BIG.
• Frank Lloyd Wright on What’s My Line, looking like he’d like to be just about anywhere else.
• Landmark Illinois’s 10 Most Endangered Buildings. (Via Hrag.)
• The life of the architect: Win a Pritzker, design a pooper.
• Because the world really needs to know my every thought burp: I’m on Twitter.
• From the culture that brought you the Renaissance…Your moment of My Name is Potato, a video that has me loving carbs. (Grazie, Yvonne, for the sublime ridiculosity.)